Crimson Memories
by Morcleon
Summary: Riko doesn't think much of her school's student council president until she opens her mouth. And then she can't get enough.


_Author's Note: Despite Maki actually being four years older than Riko, I've changed their ages to be only two years apart so that they could attend Otonokizaka together._

* * *

The first time she saw amethyst framed in crimson, Riko didn't see anything special about that girl, her student council president. Despite the otherworldly colors that one would usually only see in anime and the excited whispers of those around her, she just seemed like an ordinary high school girl. What was a muse anyway?

"Hello everyone! My name is Nishikino Maki!"

...but her voice was entrancing. That confident voice that spoke out to the gathered students, welcoming them to another year at Otonokizaka could be nothing less than angelic in her ears. That radiant voice that pierced through her indifference straight to her heart. That beautiful voice that-

Shaking her head quickly, Riko sat back in her chair with a quiet gasp and a faint blush upon her cheeks. It wasn't like her to get so worked up over someone that she'd just seen. Not at all. But in the back of her mind, she fantasized about the student council president and of gentle touches and of soft lips and of losing herself in her embrace.

"...and with that, I welcome you all to Otonokizaka!" The applause shook Riko out of her daze and she quickly stood up to clap with the rest of the students, hoping no one had noticed her daydreaming. As they filed out in lines, she stole one last glance at Maki and felt her heart beat just a little faster.

* * *

The second time she saw amethyst framed in crimson, Riko actually spoke to Maki.

It had been a few weeks since the start of the term, and Riko had taken to playing the piano in the music room after school. None of the club activities had really caught her interest and she really didn't want to be a part of the Going Home Club, so when she found the music room off in a corner of the school building, she felt as if she had found her personal clubroom.

And as she lifted her fingers from the keys at the end of another song, soft applause from the doorway caused her to look up. Her eyes met amethyst framed in crimson through the glass and she froze. No, she wasn't hallucinating, she thought in a slight daze. It really was Maki standing in the doorway, staring back at her.

"Ah, excuse me," Maki started, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. "I couldn't help but listen in. You're quite skilled."

"Oh! Um, thank you," Riko replied hurriedly, waving her hands in front of herself. "But I'm not that good yet."

"If you say so," Maki said with a shrug before stepping into the room and closing the door behind her. "Would you like some company? It's nice to meet someone else so musically inclined."

Riko felt her heart pounding in her chest as she nodded wordlessly, watching with a blush as Maki sat down to her left on the piano bench.

"So what have you been working... on..." Maki asked, her words trailing off as she noticed the worn sheets of handwritten music on the stand.

Too busy being embarrassed and trying not to panic, Riko completely missed the strange mix of nostalgia and amusement on her senpai's face, replying, "Ah... well, I found this folder of sheet music a week ago and it's really good! There's no name anywhere on here though. And well, I can only really play this first piece too."

"Mm, yeah..." Maki murmured, continuing to stare at the sheet music. She grinned over at Riko. "Well, why don't you play it? I'd love to hear this from you."

"Oh, right now?" Riko tensed up and nodded, settling her fingers on the keys. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she looked over to find Maki giving her a reassuring smile.

Riko took a deep breath and began the piece, each note flowing from her with growing confidence. As she got to the melody, she heard a beautiful voice start singing on her left.

"Aishiteru banzai..."

* * *

The last time she saw amethyst eyes framed in crimson, Riko felt like she would cry.

Her father's work had taken him to a small seaside town called Uchiura, far away from Tokyo. This meant that she would be forced to move as well, leaving Otonokizaka after only one year. Her class had thrown her a small going away party and she would miss the friends she had (eventually) made dearly. As she said her goodbyes and promises to keep in touch to her friends, she saw a familiar face smiling at her beyond the shoe lockers.

"Maki-senpai!" Riko waved cheerily at Maki, running over. She stumbled to a halt and beamed up at her. "I almost didn't notice you here!"

"As if I'd let you today. It's far too important for me to let you go out into this weather alone," Maki replied, smiling back. She held out a hand to Riko, gesturing with her umbrella in the other. "Shall we go home together, one last time?"

Riko took her hand with a laugh and the two girls set off.

The rain drummed a rhythmless beat against their shared umbrella as they shared stories and laughed and reminisced about their times together. With arms linked, Riko imagined they might have looked a bit like lovers, and the thought brought a small blush to her cheeks.

"...hey, senpai?" Riko looked over, a more melancholy expression on her face. "You'll be going to Todai after this, right?"

"Mm, yeah," replied Maki, looking over curiously with a smirk. "What, are you gonna try for Todai because of me?"

Riko blushed slightly and nodded, smiling back. "Yes! I'll do my best to get in so I can see you again!"

Surprised by the earnest expression on her kouhai's face, Maki looked away with a faint blush of her own and nodded. "A-Ah… yeah. Well, I'll be waiting for you there then."

Chuckling as she watched her senpai's cute expression, Riko nudged just a sliver closer and continued on. "I won't let you down."

"Hey, what's with this seriousness all of a sudden?" Maki patted Riko gently on the head. "We'll keep in touch, right?"

"Right!"

As they reached Riko's apartment, she opened the gate and stepped under the awning. Spinning around to face Maki, she smiled and bowed. "Thank you for everything, Maki-senpai. Farewell!"

Maki smiled back. "Farewell, Riko!"

As she turned to leave, Riko opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She tensed up, opening and closing her mouth several times. Finally, she shouted out at the receding outline of Maki in the distance. "Maki-senpai, I love you!"

But her only response was the pattering of rain and the low howl of the wind.

* * *

Waking up earlier than usual, Riko rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and slapped clumsily at her alarm clock. Another Monday, another day of school at Todai. Especially in her first year, she didn't want to get a reputation for missing class. Allowing herself a brief moment of guilty pleasure as she lay under the covers, she stared at the one Aqours poster she had, featuring all nine of them together. Would she be so lucky to find bonds that close here? Even though she had a few friends, it was almost the same as her first year at Otonokizaka. She'd like to think she was a bit more confident now, at least.

Chuckling softly, Riko flopped out of bed and began the laborious process of getting ready for school. Checking her hair one last time at the hallway mirror, she slipped on her shoes and left her apartment. The sun was still pretty low in the sky, Riko thought. She had been lucky to get up so early. Sighing, she headed toward the stairs.

A footstep behind her and the slam of a door and the click of a lock. Riko turned and her vision blurred. She heard a gasp and a moment later, she felt another person slam into her and wrap her up in an embrace. And even if she hadn't closed her eyes as she returned the hug, she knew that she was be staring into amethyst framed in crimson.

"I love you too, Riko."

* * *

 _Rare is it for us to choose who enters our lives_

 _Rarer still for us to control when they leave it_

 _Our experiences together are a treasure_

 _Our memories together are forever_


End file.
